Big Brother is Watching You More and More

As I indicated before, we need to start thinking quickly about where we think the line should be drawn into having cameras watch our every move.

Now, in a move to shore up the budget the Chicago City Council that brought you the red light cameras are moving in for more.

March 17, Chicago, Il-

In Chicago, blowing a stoplight might get you a letter, complete with a $100 fine, thanks to a red-light camera.

But that might not be the end of your photo-enforcement woes, because aldermen Monday began talking about using the city's ever-growing legion of red-light cameras to check for vehicle liability insurance.

Citing more vehicles—including those driven safely but uninsured—could net the city more than $100 million a year, added Rowland Day, executive vice president of InsureNet, a Michigan-based company that provides instant insurance verification.

Hmm, it does not appear that the city is at all interested in compliance with the state requirement for auto insurance, only with making money for catching someone driving a vehicle without insurance.  Interestingly enough, the state law requires that either the vehicle or the driver be insured. So you could be driving a friend's car and have insurance yourself, even if your friend's vehicle is not covered.  

(625 ILCS 5/3‑707) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3‑707) 
    Sec. 3‑707. Operation of uninsured motor vehicle ‑ penalty. 
    (a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle unless the motor vehicle is covered by a liability insurance policy in accordance with Section 7‑601 of this Code. 
    (b) Any person who fails to comply with a request by a law enforcement officer for display of evidence of insurance, as required under Section 7‑602 of this Code, shall be deemed to be operating an uninsured motor vehicle. 

Now the city wants to tax, I mean fine, the owner even if the vehicle was operated in full compliance with the State law.

The Transportation Committee took no action on a proposal by Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) to use red-light cameras at 132 Chicago intersections to track down uninsured motorists.

But, aldermen clearly had dollar signs in their eyes after hearing InsureNet’s pitch to enlist the city’s entire network of surveillance cameras — and install new ones at high-traffic locations — in the hunt for the uninsured.

As I indicated yesterday, who stands to really profit from this intrusion? Either we start asking the difficult questions about who really makes the money off of these cottage industries or we should just prepare to realize that we will soon be taxed for breathing.